Procedure for generating operational ballistic capture transfer using a computer implemented process

Abstract

A method generates an operational ballistic capture transfer for an object emanating substantially at earth or earth orbit to arrive at the moon or moon orbit using a computer implemented process. The method includes the steps of entering parameters including velocity magnitude VE, flight path angle gammaE, and implementing a forward targeting process by varying the velocity magnitude VE, and the flight path angle gammaE for convergence of target variables at the moon. The target variables include radial distance, rM, and inclination iM. The method also includes the step of iterating the forward targeting process until sufficient convergence to obtain the operational ballistic capture transfer from the earth or the earth orbit to the moon or the moon orbit.

Description

1. Field of the InventionThis invention relates in general to methods for space travel, and in particular, to methods for an object, such as a satellite, space craft, and the like, to be placed in lunar orbit around the moon, and / or orbit around other planets including earth.2. Background of the Related ArtThe study of motion of objects, including celestial objects, originated, in part, with Newtonian mechanics. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Newtonian mechanics, using a law of motion described by acceleration provided an orderly and useful framework to solve most of the celestial mechanical problems of interest for that time. In order to specify the initial state of a Newtonian system, the velocities and positions of each particle must be specified.However, in the mid-nineteenth century, Hamilton recast the formulation of dynamical systems by introducing the so-called Hamiltonian function, H, which represents the total energy of the system expressed in terms of the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an orbital system and / or method that furnishes efficient use of fuel or propellant. It is also desirable to provide an orbital system and / or method that it not substantially dependent on significant thrusting or propelling forces.

The present invention comprises a system and / or method for cislunar travel which substantially reduces the propellant requirements for lunar missions. The present invention also provides orbital systems useful for earth-to-moon and moon-to-earth travel, which do not directly utilize the moon's gravitational field to achieve orbital transfers and can be sustained with relatively low propellant requirements. The present invention further provides frequent earth return possibilities for equipment and personnel on the moon, or in a moon-relative orbit.

Problems solved by technology

In particular, it was nonintegrable Hamiltonian mechanics and the associated nonlinear problems which posed both the dilemma and ultimately the insight into the occurrence of randomness and unpredictability in apparently completely deterministic systems.

Since initial conditions can only be measured with a finite accuracy and the errors propagate at an exponential rate, the long range behavior of these systems cannot be predicted.

Strong departures from the original operator through the perturbation parameter will invalidate the use of the original eigenfunctions used to generate the set of perturbed eigenfunctions.

If this strategy is satisfactory in certain respects, it nevertheless does constitute a drawback.

In fact, it requires that the orbital plane be tilted when passing from the orbit 01 to the orbit 02, this resulting in a considerable consumption of propellant.

This method works, but the size of this maneuver restricts the applications of the method to ellipses whose eccentricities are sufficiently large.

I have determined that all of the above orbital systems and / or methods suffer from the requirement of substantial fuel expenditure for maneuvers, and are therefore, not sufficiently efficient.

I have also determined that the above methods focus on orbital systems that concentrate on the relationship between the earth and the moon, and do not consider possible effects and / or uses beyond this two-body problem.

Images